The Liberation of Isabella Swan
by wanderinginmoonlight
Summary: Imprinting: a force so strong it can alter the very fabric of your being, and destroy even the strongest of friendships. When imprinting goes wrong, no-one can escape the aftermath. Can Bella and Jacob's imprint be fixed, or will Bella have to keep running? And will the pack survive the turmoil as the alpha and his wolf fight it out for control and their mate? Bella/Jacob imprint.
1. Introduction: Concern

**A/N: Set during New Moon, with Leah having phased before Jacob. **

**Introduction: Concern**

**(Leah's POV)**

Imprinting.

It was some fucked up shit to say the least. But no-one had expected that it could turn ugly.

Even I, with due reason to hate it, could see the symmetry between Jared and Kim, the deep love shared between Sam and Emily, though I'd never admit it to them. It sickened me to the pit of my stomach, yet I could still see the beauty in it, still feel the appeal it had to the rest of the wolves.

Yet with Jacob and Bella it was utterly different.

Out of everyone, I would have expected them to be the most disgustingly happy. Jacob had been in love with her since he was 4 years old for Christ's sake. Everyone knew Bella loved him too, even if she hadn't managed to figure it out herself yet, the stupid, naïve girl. They had been close friends for years, and when he phased we had all hoped with Jacob that he would imprint on her. If anyone should have been lucky enough to imprint on the person he loved it was Jake. The boy was always kind, always had a smile on his face. Even I wanted him to be happy, and that said a lot.

And with one look it happened: the magical imprint that would solve all their problems and bind them together in eternal happiness. Only it didn't.

Maybe it was because Jacob was so newly phased when it happened. Maybe it was because Bella had freaked out and refused to even speak to him for weeks when he found out, a reasonable response to finding out her best friend was a werewolf and she was shackled to him and therefore La Push for the rest of her life if you ask me.

Whatever the reason was, the imprint changed Jacob's Wolf, and Jacob's wolf changed him. Long gone was the light-hearted, easy going Jacob we all knew and loved. This new Jacob was volatile, angry, and always on edge. He had a constant need to control and dominate, especially Bella. He claimed he was protecting her from everything, even herself. The deluded kid actually thought he was doing what was best for her; he couldn't see she was miserable.

It took a while for the pack to notice just quite how wrong it was though. We mistook Bella's discomfort for her struggling to adjust to the hand fate had dealt her. We mistook Jacob's need for control for the erratic impulses of an over-protective, newly imprinted wolf. We honestly though that things would settle down, that Bella would adapt and embrace the life of an imprint, and that Jacob would settle down after a few weeks as all the other imprinted wolves had. By the time we tried to do anything to help them a life-long friendship had been irreparably damaged, and we didn't know how to mend it, or if it ever could be mended.

It had officially gone too far when Jacob marked her without permission from Bella or the council. Bella had fled to Sam's in floods of tears, and whilst Emily checked her over, Sam had mistakenly tried to alpha order Jacob's wolf into submission in the hope that it would win Bella some much needed freedom. Jacob flipped his shit and took alpha, kicking Sam's ass and destroying half of his house in the process. His first alpha order prevented the males from being in the same room as his imprint. It divided the pack, keeping Bella away from her friends, and making the other imprints torn between being with their mates and consoling their friend.

From a distance, I watched as the strong, feisty Isabella Swan was smothered, lost beneath the tidal wave of Jacob's irrational wolf. She stopped coming out to La Push, becoming introverted to the extreme and only leaving the house for school. Every time I saw her she was anxious, twitchy almost, like I got when I went too long between phasing. To put it lightly, she was a mess. But what scared me the most was the lack of life in her eyes; she'd slipped back into that zombie like state that she'd been stuck in after the leech left her. The scary thing about it was that I was the only one who seemed to notice. She put on a good show for Charlie, Jacob, and her school friends. The girl was a better actress than she was given credit for. But I saw her when no-one else was around, and I knew it was all an act.

I don't pity easily, but the poor girl was so alone, so isolated in the glass case her imprint had built around her that I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Honestly, I don't know how she coped with it. So I started visiting her, giving her a friend and a confident. Pretty soon Emily and Kim started visiting too. One day she let slip that she was planning on running, maybe staying with her mother in Jacksonville. Together, the four of us planned her escape, avoiding her mother's house as it was the first place that Jacob would look. A couple of days later, Bella received new ID's and bankcards through the mail. She wouldn't tell us where she'd got them from, but I suspected that her bloodsuckers, the Cullens had sent them, though how she'd gotten in touch with them was beyond me. The plan was set, we were all agreed, and Bella was ready. It was only a matter of time before she got away.

I just hoped and prayed it would be enough to save her.


	2. Chapter One: Introspection - Part One

**Chapter One: Introspection Part One.**

Songs: I Don't Love You by My Chemical Romance, The Silence by Mayday Parade, Under the Water by The Pretty Reckless, The State of Dreaming by Mariana and the Diamonds.

**(Bella's POV)**

My whole life changed that day when my eyes met Jacob's.

I'd stormed up to his house so angry with him, ready to have the fight of the century, but the moment his eyes met mine I forgot all about the anger and got lost in the emotion, the pull that suddenly came from the centre of my being and tied me to him. I'll always remember the look of awestruck wonder on his face, the way he stuttered adorably, unable to put together a coherent sentence.

He'd pulled me into his arms, and I'd relaxed against him immediately, inhaling his familiar woodsy scent; he smelt like home. I half heartedly told him I was still angry with him, he laughed and told me he'd missed me too. It had only been a week since I'd seen him last.

That was the last normal Jake-and-Bells moment we had.

After that I was dragged over to Sam's house where my world was turned upside down for a second time that day. Once again, the veil of innocence was torn from my eyes and I found myself thrown into a world where I didn't belong.

Shape-shifters.

They all turned into wolves, Sam, Jared, Paul, Embry, Jacob, hell even Leah. All I could think was why. What was wrong with me? Couldn't I just find some normal, human friends? Hadn't I spent enough time in my short life feeling completely inferior? Then I felt bad. They were offering me a place in their world, in their family and I was wallowing in self-pity.

I know now that Jacob could feel exactly what I was feeling, but at the time I was amazed that he could see how uncomfortable, how shocked I was. So I followed him naively out to the beach. For a second I was back in that moment, reliving it again as I had countless times before.

"_There's something else I need to tell you, and you should hear it from me before any of them," Jacob told me as we took a seat on our driftwood bench._

"_Alright," I sighed, wondering if it were possible for your reality to be turned inside out three times in one day. _

"_Our wolves have this thing called imprinting. It's a gift from the Gods, where the spirit warriors are blessed with a soul-mate – the one person in the whole world that will complete them. When a spirit warrior sees his imprint for the first time it's like nothing else in the universe exists but his imprint. Its like love at first sight, only so much stronger. She's a gift to be protected and cherished," Jacob smiled at me, that look of awe shining in his eyes again, "Bella, I imprinted on you this morning."_

"_Soul-mates?" I asked, cynically. I had already been fooled by that line once before, and wasn't going to let it happen a second time. In fact I wasn't even sure if I believed in soul mates anymore._

"_Yes Bells, Soul-mates. Don't you understand? You belong with me. You're it for me!" He told me excitedly as my chest began to tighten, " I'll love you, protect you, and provide for you for the rest of your life. You can move down here and live with me, and we can get married and start a family…"_

"_Jacob!" I screeched, practically hyperventilating, "Slow down! Christ, you're only 17! I haven't even graduated yet! We should be more worried about grades and college applications than marriage," I told him, desperately._

"_We can't go to college Bella," he frowned, suddenly serious._

"_What?" I hissed with a glare, just daring him to repeat that statement._

"_I have responsibilities and duties to the tribe now. I can't leave. And neither can you," he informed me._

"_Look, just because you're trapped here, it doesn't mean I am," I yelled at him, storming off. It was ridiculous. Jacob caught up with me too quickly, thanks to that stupid werewolf speed._

"_We can't be apart," he told me, grabbing my arm so I couldn't keep walking away; "You're mine Bella, my imprint. You can't leave me, it will only hurt us both." His eyes seemed to almost glow, it worried me, but not enough to deter my anger._

"_Yeah, I'm sure our hearts will just break," I sneered with as much sarcasm as I could muster._

"_That's not what I meant," he growled, "If we're apart will both get sick Bella. We could die! It's not a joke."_

"_Well when that happens you can pay the medical bills," I proclaimed, tearing myself out of his grip. I was surprised when he didn't follow me._

"_Don't be like this! You should be happy!" Jacob called after me. I stopped on the spot, turning to face him_

"_If you thought I'd be happy to be told I was trapped here forever you never knew me!" I screamed at him, furiously_

"_I know you better than anyone, even yourself," he told me calmly, despite the shaking in his arms. _

"_Then you'll know that I need some space to figure all this out. It's too much for me to process right now," I pleaded with him, not wanting him to follow me. Jacob nodded roughly, the shaking increasing._

"_Goodbye Jacob. I'll call you," I told him, gently. In the time it took me to blink, the man was gone, and the wolf stood in his place. We started at each other for a moment, each assessing the other, then he turned and ran into the shelter of the woods, and I turned and ran back to Sam's to collect my truck. _

I didn't talk to him for two-and-a-half weeks afterward. Part of me knew it was selfish, that it would hurt him, but I stayed away anyway. I couldn't deny that it was partially because I was angry with him, but there was more to it than that: I was grieving. Once again I found my future had been snatched away from me and replace with another, new unchartered ground. It frustrated me. After Edward left I had lost everything, my family, my future, myself. Somehow it didn't seem fair that it could all be taken away from me again when I had only just figured out what I wanted in life. Me. Not Charlie, not Edward, not Jacob. Me. 

I wanted to graduate, to get the hell out of Forks and go to College. I was going to study English Literature, and was planning on settling down in a little apartment in a city and teaching or writing or both. It was my own little dream, and as soon as I had found it fate had taken it from me.

I didn't leave the house for days. When I did it was only to go to school. La Push was avoided like the plague; I just wasn't ready to deal with it. Jacob started calling me, at first once a day and then it gradually increased to once an hour. I stopped answering the phone, letting the answering machine or Charlie deal with him. It was childish, but I needed the space.

I knew he was getting desperate when he started turning up at the house. Charlie had to turn him away at the door more than once. The wolf lingered almost constantly in the tree line behind the house. So I started leaving my curtains closed. Honestly, it wasn't just to spite him. He'd scared me with the talk about marriage and kids. There was no way I was ready for that, even if I did decide that was what I wanted. Before Edward I hadn't really planned on marriage or family, and the thought of having to decide about that now panicked me. Meanwhile, there was a pain in my chest that just seemed to grow as each day went past. No painkillers or remedies could remove it, though I did try. Deep down I knew it would be there until I saw Jacob, but I wasn't ready yet.

Then one day Emily came to visit me. It turned out she was Sam's imprint and Jake hadn't even told me. She was able to explain it so much better than he had, filling in details that he'd left out, such as the fact that I could chose how our relationship was. The panicking stopped, and I slept easier that night.

So the next day I gathered all my courage and called him. Jacob was there in ten minutes, and we talked it all over. I explained that I wasn't ready for a relationship yet, and that I wanted us to be friends like we were before this all happened and he agreed. But it never went back to normal. It was like we didn't know how to act around each other anymore. More accurately, Jacob didn't know how to act like Jacob anymore and I hated it. Gone was the carefree, happy boy who had once been my own personal sunshine. This Jacob was tense and angry, with more mood swings than a pregnant lady. I think it was because he'd taken to being a wolf so naturally; he was the fastest, the strongest, and could phase the quickest. He took to it like a duck on water, but lost part of his humanity in the process.

This new Jacob couldn't take a joke, and got into more fights than Paul with his pack brothers, something that, I'd reliably been informed by Embry, no-one had thought possible. When he was in human form he was always moving, always needing something to do. If I tried to get him to sit down and watch a movie, or just relax he'd have to have physical contact with me to last more than five minutes. Everyone had expected that it would settle down, that he would adjust to his new body and sharing it with the wolf, but that never happened. With each day that went by without my Jacob appearing my heart broke a little bit more.

It wasn't long before his wolf instincts began interfering with our friendship.

It started off in small things. He'd growl if I sat next to, or talked to any of his pack brothers. One day I was waiting for him to finish patrolling at Sam's house, and as he walked in Embry told me a joke and I laughed. Jacob broke his nose. It got to the point where I could only sit on my own, or with him. The pack stopped talking to me unless he was part of the conversation. I wasn't happy about it, but I coped. Instead of hanging out with the pack when he wasn't there, the other imprints and I would hang out in the kitchen. As much as I missed the joking and teasing of the pack, Quil and Embry especially, I enjoyed getting to know Kim and Emily. They were both so sweet and caring, and I knew we would be really good friends.

When I wasn't with the Pack Jacob always had to know where I was, who I was with, and when I'd be home. He started insisting that I was home before dark unless I was with him or the pack who could protect me should any vampires show up. It was ridiculous; I hadn't had a curfew since I was 14, and all of a sudden I was expected to be home be tea time. Charlie noticed this, and I had to make excuses about having a lot of homework. I knew he didn't always believe me, and I started to get angry with Jacob for making me lie to him. On the days where I even had a mere cold, if he knew he would physically stop me from leaving the house. It was like having a controlling boyfriend, but without the romance. The pack thought he was taking 'protection' too far, I'd hear them telling him to back off a bit. But nothing anyone could say to him could persuade him to relax.

We were arguing a lot by this point. I wouldn't call myself a feminist, but I'd always been independent, and I hated that he was constantly putting restrictions on what I could and couldn't do. The worst argument we had was over me cooking of all things. Whilst chopping vegetables, my knife had slipped and I'd cut my finger – a tiny, insignificant accident that happens to even the best chef's. Naturally, Jacob just happened to be there. He was distraught, going on about how he'd failed to protect me. Him caring for me and bandaging my cut would have been sweet and endearing if he hadn't immediately followed it by banning me from using knives.

The idea of not being able to use a knife, something I needed to do every day to cook, was so absurd that I literally saw red. I threw a plate at him, and it bounced off his thick head, smashing upon impact with the ground. The screaming match that ensued was that of legend, the releasing of two months worth of anger and frustration in one big eruption. Only this wasn't therapeutic, this was both of us lashing out knowing the other would be hurt. We were loud enough that the neighbours called the police, and Charlie arrived in uniform to escort Jacob out of the house. He didn't notice the man explode into a wolf in his garden, but I did.

Even then I was hopeful that Jacob could be fixed, that his temperament was just a temporary glitch. I started praying for him every night, daft as it seemed. My naivety was so great that I just expected him to walk through the door one day, his smile on his face, and become my Jacob again. Without my personal sun the world was looking pretty grey and bleak.

Everything changed again the day he marked me.

Maybe it was my fault for blowing him off, for lying to him, sneaking out to see my friends when I had promised I'd stay at home. Upon hindsight, I should have known that he'd find me when I joined my friends on first beach. I hadn't realised he was watching when I dove off the cliff hand in hand with Angela and Jess, neither did I realise he was watching when I settled down on my towel, between Mike and Angela, joking and laughing with them. When he stepped out of the tree line and I saw the look on his face I regretted having left the house. I especially regretted the fact I was sat next to another male in only a bikini.

"_Get your stuff, we're leaving," Jacob called to me, angrily. I quickly started shoving things in my bag, hoping he wouldn't come over here and beat Mike Newton half to death for being sat next to me._

"_Who's that?" Angela asked me in a hushed whisper._

"_That's Jacob," I answered simply._

"_Are you dating him?" she asked, looking mildly concerned._

"_No. It's kind of complicated, but we're just friends," I told her whilst slipping my flip flops on._

"_You don't have to go with him you know," Angela told me, the worry leaking into her voice, "He looks very angry."_

"_He's probably had a long day. Don't worry, Jacob would never hurt me," I reassured her, and she relaxed infinitesimally._

"_Okay then. Call me later and we can talk," she told me with a faint smile, which I returned. Wishing everyone goodbye, I tried to centre myself, pushing down the fear and nerves that seeing Jacob so angry inspired in me. Grabbing my hand, he turned and led me away from the beach into the woods. _

"_Where are we going?" I asked when I realised we weren't heading towards my truck, his house, or Sam's house. He growled in response, dropping my hand and turning to face me._

"_You lied to me," he accused, his eyes burning the odd golden colour I knew meant the wolf was close to the surface. _

"_You gave me no choice," I told him honestly, "you would never have let me go without you, and if you had come you would have been angry with my friends every time I talked to them." He growled again, letting me know my reasoning was not a good enough excuse._

"_Christ Jacob! I'm 18, I just want to have fun with my friends every now and then," I exclaimed exasperatedly. _

"_Fun? So you think its fun to lie to me? To worry me? To make me come looking for you?" he demanded, advancing a step forward for every step back I took._

"_No, that's not what I meant," I choked out warily._

"_No? Well maybe it was fun to have that Newton kid drooling over you. Was that it?" he asked furiously, "Do you want him and not me Bella, because I've never seen you dress like this for me!"_

"_No!"I shouted, disgusted at the thought. Suddenly he grabbed me, securing my body to his with a hand on the small of my back._

"_You forget who you belong to, mate," he growled, his lips so close to my ears that the sensation made me shiver, my body traitorously reacting to his._

"_I'll remind you this once. You are mine. This," he said, his hand nipping my exposed buttock so hard I yelped, "This belongs to me. I never want that Newton kid looking at it again!"_

"_My body belongs to me, and if you don't stop being like this you'll never see it again!" I informed him, bringing up both hands to roughly shove him away. He let me go, not moving so that I fell on my ass, hard. Looking up at him, I realised that he was so close to phasing that the lines were blurred around the edge of his form. From no-where, my self-preservation instincts suddenly kicked in. I scrambled on my hands and knees to get away from the enraged shifter. There was no way I could outrun him though, especially not crawling through the forest. Before I could scramble to my feet and run my face was pressed into the soil, my body trapped beneath another, heavier one. _

"_Get off me Jacob!" I shrieked, thrashing about in a vain attempt at throwing him off of me. _

"_Don't run from me Mate," he ordered, slipping his thighs between me, and easily restraining my hands above my head, effectively preventing me from moving. I shuddered at the feeling of his arousal pressing into me, hating myself for physically reacting to this treatment. _

"_Just let me up, I won't run," I pleaded._

"_Liar!" he growled in my ear, "I may not be able to tell over the phone, but you can't lie to me in person. I can smell it."_

"_Jacob, you're scaring me," I whimpered pathetically, trying to appeal to the part of the wolf that was bound by the imprint to protect me. He froze momentarily, his whole body stiffening against mine. _

"_Mate. Mark. Protect," he snarled, repeating it over and over again like a mantra. His body vibrated against mine as he fought back against the wolf. Taking advantage of his distraction, once again I fidgeted, trying to get myself out from underneath him. My movement seemed to turn the tide in the internal battle he was fighting._

_A haunting sound tore from his throat, more canine than human. And with that he sunk his teeth into my neck. _

_**To be continued…**_

**A/N: There's a lot of catching up to with Bella, and I couldn't quite fit it all into one chapter so I'm spreading it across two. Sorry for the cliffy! Review and let me know what you think :D**


	3. Chapter Two: Introspection - Part Two

**Chapter Two: Introspection Part 2**

**(Bella's POV)**

Absentmindedly, I traced the scar that I bore on the juncture of my neck and shoulder with my index finger. I knew if I looked at it in the mirror I'd see a perfect impression of Jacob's teeth, much like James' scar on my wrist. My feelings about the mark were conflicted; I could never decide whether to love or hate it. I'd gladly bare this scare and a hundred more if it would bring back my Jacob. On the other hand, every time I saw it I was reminded of that day, and that he was not my Jacob anymore.

_He sunk his teeth into my neck, the sudden, unexpected pain causing me to cry out. My skin was suddenly so sensitive that I could feel every single one of his teeth embedded in me. It burned, but not like vampire venom; the throbbing, so deep I could feel it in my bones, started in my neck and spread rapidly throughout my body until I could no longer fight. Immobilised, I just laid there and whimpered, knowing that there was little more I could do. _

_I was in shock. _

_Jacob, my Jacob, had never and would never hurt me. But this man, this stranger who wore Jacob's skin had. The last shard of hope I had in my heart shattered with an almighty roar. My Jacob was gone forever, never coming back._

_I didn't realise that the noise I could hear wasn't coming from my breaking heart until Jacob was torn from my body, his teeth tearing my delicate flesh roughly on their way out. I scrambled away, watching as Paul and Embry forced Jacob back, their combined strength only just enough to pin him against a tree. They must have heard my cries and come to save me, only to realise the only monster here was their pack brother. _

"_Bella, Sam's house is straight that way," Embry told me, taking one hand off of Jacob's shaking shoulder to point the direction, "Run," he told me, his usually happy face deadly serious. _

_So run I did._

Thinking about it, it was miraculous that I made it to Sam's house and didn't fall once. God knows I'm not known for my sense of direction or for my athletic capability. The relief when I saw the house is something I'll always remember, that and the horrified expressions on Sam and Emily's faces when I burst into their living room sobbing, my body smeared with a combination of mud and my own blood. To say that I looked like something out of a horror film was an understatement.

They didn't even have to ask what had happened. They just knew. But after a second, the calm evaporated.

"_Get her out of here Emily," Sam Instructed, springing to his feet and staring at the door like the hoards of hell were going to burst through it._

"_Come on Bella," Emily said soothingly, putting a gentle yet protective arm around me, "Let's go and get you cleaned up." _

_Swiftly, she lead me to the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind us. I sank to the floor, partly in relief, partly in exhaustion. Before I knew it, Emily's arms were around me and I was crying my eyes out._

"_He's gone!" I sobbed breathlessly over and over, the realisation still fresh in my mind. Emily didn't ask me what I meant, didn't tell me I was wrong. She just held me close, her silent tears accompanying my louder ones. Pretty soon we could hear raised voices echoing down the hall. I knew Jacob was here and I started to fret, petrified that he'd hurt someone for protecting me. Resolved to stop him, I started to get to my feet but Emily stopped me._

"_Leave it Bella. Sam can deal with him," she assured me, "All you need to worry about is getting cleaned up." I nodded, ready to get the mud off of my skin._

_When I stepped under the shower I nearly moaned at the sensation, the only things stopping me being the werewolves down the hall and the woman sat on the toilet seat. For a few minutes I ignored the shouting and banging and focused on cleaning the dirt off of my body and out of my hair. Emily handed me a towel as soon as I was done and I took her place on the toilet seat._

"_Do you mind if I clean that up?" Emily asked, gesturing to the mark._

"_Please," I replied timidly, not ready to look at it myself yet. Emily grabbed the first aid kit from the cupboard under the sink and got to work, efficiently applying antiseptic before taping gauze over it. She didn't have a plaster big enough. _

"_Emily," I started shyly, "Has Sam…"_

"_No," she told me, packing away the first aid kit, "Sam is very protective of me. He doesn't want to risk hurting me again."_

"_What does it mean?" I asked, needing but not wanting to know the answer. She sighed, sadly._

"_Before I tell you this, you need to know that the marking shouldn't have happened that way. It should have been done in love, with the permission of the council and you," she paused, and I nodded in acceptance. "The mark makes you his wife in tribal law."_

_I gasped, my hand flying up to my mouth, trying to hide the look of complete horror on my face. _

"_It has other side effects," Emily continued, "It ties you to him, and strengthens the imprint. You'll only be able to have his children. It marks you as his, giving you his scent to deter other males. You'll find that it deters more than just his pack brothers."_

"_So he's made himself my husband, and taken away any chance of me having a relationship or a child with anyone else?" I asked, trying to comprehend just how much had been stolen from me._

"_I'm so sorry," Emily breathed. This time it was me who held her close and comforted her as she cried. The oh so familiar numbness from my zombie days crept at the peripheries of my being and I fought it off with what little strength I had left; I couldn't do that to Charlie again. _

_Both Emily and I flinched in shock as the door to the bathroom slammed open, reality perforating our moment of temporary sanctuary. I felt my body relax as I registered that the intruder was female, not Jacob. Leah walked into the bathroom and shoved my beach bag towards me._

"_Get dressed," she instructed, before turning to Emily with an almost pitiful expression, "Em, you need to get the first aid kit and go into the living room." _

_Emily froze at Leah's casual use of her nickname, a name I was sure hadn't passed her cousin's lips since Sam imprinted on her. She then grabbed her medical surplies and dashed out of the room. Her horrified scream and desperate sobs had me dressing faster than I ever had. I ran out of the bathroom, and felt my usually pink face blanch at the sight before me. _

_Blood and plaster covered every surface of the living room, if it could still be called that with two out of the four walls virtually nonexistent and a sofa embedded 5 feet up one of the remaining walls. My eyes spanned the wreckage of this once happy home until they found its occupants. Sam lay face down in a pile of rubble that was once a dining table, an arm and both legs at unnatural angles, whilst Emily knelt beside him, frantically trying to scrub away the blood that covered most of his body to find the source of it._

"_What happened?" I choked out to Leah, who stood beside me, as hesitant as I was about entering the room._

"_Sam tried to alpha order Jacob to give you space until he could get his wolf under control," Leah answered, "Jacob reacted badly. He challenged Sam for Alpha." She didn't need to tell me who the victor of that fight was; the evidence was right in front of us._

"_Where is he now?" I asked warily._

"_He's probably out disciplining Paul and Embry for trying to intervene," Leah said, her callous shrug not hiding the disturbed look in her eyes. I shuddered, silently praying that Paul and Embry wouldn't end up in the same state as Sam. I walked over to the injured wolf and his mate, unable to watch them suffer without trying to make amends; I may not have raised a hand to him, but I was undeniably responsible for his injuries._

"_What can I do?" I asked a frantic Emily softly. At the sound of my voice Sam's eyes snapped open, and he began to drag his broken body forward with his only functioning limb. Watching him cause himself more pain caused Emily's sobs to reach a new level of hysteria, and the gurgle of his breathing made me sick to my stomach._

"_Sam, stop!" I begged him, wanting to make him stop. He just pulled harder, leaving a trail of blood and shards of wood and plaster behind him._

"_Swan, you've got to get out of here," Leah told me, quickly pulling me towards the front door._

"_But Sam-" I protested, and she quickly cut me off._

"_Jacob ordered him and all the other male wolves not to be in the same room as you. He has to keep moving if you don't step outside," she revealed. Not only was it my fault that Sam was hurt, but it was also my fault that he was hurting himself more. Leah no longer needed to help me to the door, I ran for it, throwing it open and violently emptying the contents of my stomach into Emily's perfectly kept flower bed. _

Until then I hadn't known the true meaning of loneliness. I learnt very quickly that I couldn't go to pack functions. My friends could no longer be in the same room as me. Even if I stayed in the kitchen it restricted them and made them wary, and of course that made their imprints uncomfortable. I don't think Emily and Kim knew what to say to me anymore; our common ground had dissipated when it became apparent that my imprint was broken and I was cut out of the loop in pack activities. I hated watching my family fall apart around me, so I stopped visiting them.

Needless to say I didn't call Angela back after promising her I would. She bombarded me with questions at school the next Monday, she and all my friends clearly worried about my well being. I couldn't be honest with them, and I couldn't let Jacob get angry with the guys for talking or sitting near to me so I withdrew there as well, sitting on my own at the abandoned Cullen table that no-one but I was courageous enough to claim.

My life became routinely monotonous: get up at 7, shower, eat breakfast, get driven to school by Jacob, come home from school, do homework, cook dinner for Charlie and Jacob, and go to bed. Rinse and repeat. I even stopped going out for groceries, giving Charlie a list lest I bump into someone I knew; I didn't need anyone else to lie to. It was hard enough lying to Charlie, which I had to do to stop him worrying about me.

Every time I laughed or smiled around my father it was a lie. Every time I told him I was happy to take a break and not go to college yet was a lie. Every time I told him Jacob was always hanging around because we were best friends, or I was tutoring him was a lie. Lies, lies, and more lies. The feeling of claustrophobia that began to envelope my existence grew stronger day by day. As the feeling grew stronger, Jacob grew clingier. I often sat and wondered if this was how Renée felt in the weeks building up to her taking me and high-tailing it out of Forks. I started dreaming of running, sweet, hopeful dreams of just me, my truck and freedom.

Around that time, Leah started visiting me. I didn't understand why the she wolf, who was distant at best, outright hostile at worst, would want to visit me. But she didn't pry, she didn't intrude, and she didn't look at me with pity as Kim and Emily had started to. An unlikely friendship formed between us, which made Charlie ecstatic. We watched movies together, I taught her to cook, and she helped me with my algebra. A perfect match. She opened up to me, baring her soul and all the hurt that lingered from the betrayal of Sam and Emily – they couldn't help it, she knew that now, but it still hurt none the less. I told her about Edward and how his abandonment had shattered my heart and eventually about Jacob and I, trusting her to control of her mind to stop the others from seeing it. Together we started fighting our demons, the burdens we carried halved between us so we could bear them.

Like a phoenix, a new Leah rose from the ashes of her past. She let go of the anger and the bitterness, and it was replaced by a deep inner confidence and new found self worth. The new Leah was still stubborn and head strong as a mule, but it was tempered by kindness and a caring nature. I knew she would move on and make some man very happy. The day I realised how much she had changed was the day she brought Emily and Kim with her to visit.

_I sat in the kitchen watching the clock. It was 5:30 on a Saturday evening, a full half an hour after Jacob had left to relieve Leah and Quil from their patrol. I frowned. Leah was usually here by now. It had become somewhat of a tradition the last couple of months: Leah would come over as soon as she had finished patrolling, we'd cook dinner together, then sit and watch movies together until Charlie got home from his weekly poker game with Billy and her father. She had never been late before. Just as I was about to start panicking that there had been a vampire attack, there was a knock at the front door. _

_That was odd. Leah always walked in through the back door like she owned the place. _

_I cautiously got up an answered the door, shocked to see not one, but three women stood on my Porch. _

"_Hey Bella," Kim said with a shy smile. _

"_It's good to see you!" Emily exclaimed, hugging me tightly, "Where's your kitchen?" _

"_That way?" I murmured uncertainly, pointing in the right direction. Emily scurried off to the kitchen, taking a sizeable bag of groceries with her. I invited both Kim and Leah to take a seat in my sitting room._

"_What's the occasion?" I asked Leah, raising an eyebrow._

"_I just thought you might like some more company," Leah shrugged, nonchalantly._

"_Would you like to help me cook Lee-lee?" Emily requested, sticking her head around the door._

"_Sure Em," Leah beamed, before jumping up and trotting off to join her cousin in the kitchen. She was going to be just fine. I chuckled at the shocked expression on Kim's face; the pack probably thought Leah would never forgive Emily, let alone go back to calling her by her nickname._

"_So how are you Kim? Started cramming for finals yet?" I asked._

Just like that a new routine was formed, the girls joining us every Saturday night. Now I was even less lonely. No longer did I feel like I was drowning, more like treading water. Jacob also picked up on this. He started to feel jealous of the effort I made for the girls, and the happiness that seeing them brought me. Soon he'd changed his patrol schedule so he could be free to join us on a Saturday night. With Leah and the other imprints at my back, he stood no chance of infiltrating our girls nights, but the whole thing reminded me that I'd never be free of him.

Despite my happiness, the trapped feeling returned full force. I wanted out of there so bad. I wanted to leave everything behind and start afresh like my mother had done all those years ago – like mother like daughter after all. Renee had offered time and time again for me to live with her in Jacksonville. Maybe I could take her up on the offer. I let this slip to the girls one night, and their response shocked me.

"_I'm not sure I can keep living like this," I told them, my eyes focused on my cup, "He's so overwhelming. I need freedom. I'm almost 19 years old and he's stolen my independence. And he gets so angry if I question it. One of these days one of us is going to do something we'll regret for the rest of our lives. I'm thinking of moving to live with my mother after graduation."_

_The following silence was deafening. _

"_I think you might be right," Emily sighed._

"_But your mother's is the first place he'll look," Leah added practically._

"_And you've got to consider that he can use the bond to follow you," Kim explained, "So you won't be able to stay in one place for too long."_

_I was stunned._

"_You're not going to try and stop me?" I asked in shock. I'd been so sure that they'd try and persuade me to stay._

"_Bella, what's going on between you and Jacob isn't right," Emily told me genuinely, "It wouldn't be acceptable even if you weren't an imprint."_

"_We're all worried about you, we want to help and this might be the best way," Kim agreed._

"_Besides, Jacob's wolf is out of control. This might give him both the space and motivation to learn to control it," Leah pointed out. _

"_So where do I go?" I asked, a happy sigh escaping my lips at the thought._

"_Are there any places you particularly want to see?" Kim asked sweetly._

"_I think we're going to need a map," Emily thought aloud._

After that, our gatherings became split between me and Kim studying for finals, and planning my escape. Leah wasn't present for our conversation about locations so that she couldn't give anything away if Jacob somehow got into her head, but I currently had a map hidden under my bed with almost 40 places I'd always wanted to see, ranging from big cities to national parks. My plan was to start in South Dakota and work my way east before heading south. Any closer than South Dakota and the wolves could find me in just a few hours. It would also buy me some time so that I could visit my mum without suspicion falling upon her. Kim and Emily were wonderful at helping me chose places, even giving me a few to add to my list, and encouraging me to do touristy things that they may never get to do themselves. I promised to take lots of pictures, which I would hopefully get to show them one day.

Leah, ever practically, helped me sort out logistics. We figured out pretty quickly that Jacob would have to be severely distracted for me to get out of here without him immediately noticing. From her experience and from the description of the scent that the other imprints were able to get from their wolves she managed to create a mixture comprising of bleach, masses of sugar, and a splash of floral fabric softener that she swore smelled exactly like a vampire. The plan was that she'd lay a false trail when she was due to be patrolling, howl an alarm and lead the pack on a wild goose chase, allowing me to make a break for it.

The only hitch in the plan so far was my overwhelming lack of money. Flights included, I only had enough to last me a few weeks, and that's not even factoring in transport. My truck sadly could not make the journey with me; it was far too distinctive. It was getting to the point where Leah was considering robbing a bank, which in my books was way too far. Running from the pack would be hard enough, but running from the law as well would be far too hard. Clearly fate was on my side, as I received a parcel that would solve all my problems.

_Cooking dinner with Emily in my kitchen and I heard a knock at the door. _

"_I've got it!" Leah called out. The sounds of the door opening and a male voice asking her to sign something confused me. I didn't think I'd ordered anything. The door slammed shut and Leah came barrelling into the kitchen with a shoebox sixed package._

"_It's for you," she announced, stating the obvious._

"_Thanks," I told her, taking the parcel._

_Leaving Leah to take over for me, I went up to my bedroom to open the mystery delivery. The address was printed and so gave no indication of who may have sent it. Peeling back the brown paper I was met with what was indeed a shoe box, but for very expensive shoes. There was only one person I knew who wore Christian Louboutin's. I opened it up and emptied the contents out onto my bed. There was several bound stacks of 100 dollar bills, and three sets of passports and drivers licenses each with my photo but different names. There was also black cards to go with each set of ID's At the bottom of the pile there was a note._

_**Dear Bella, **_

_**Although I have no idea what you're running from, I saw you needing this. I couldn't not help you. I know we left you without saying goodbye, but we still all think of you as family. Don't worry, we haven't told Edward about this. I want you to know that you are still my best friend and sister, and I hope that you can forgive me for not being a better friend to you. It was wrong. I was persuaded by Edward that it was best. We all were. I can also tell you that we'll be seeing each other soon. I don't know exactly when because you haven't decided yet. I've reactivated my old cell phone, so call me on that number. You're the only one who has it still so you'll get through to me right away. I love you Bella, and I hope you are safe.**_

_**Lots of Love,**_

_**Alice Cullen.**_

_I couldn't help the tears that slipped down my face. She cared. They still loved me. Maybe I wasn't quite ready to forgive them yet, but one day I knew I would. I was also so thankful for both the money and the ID. It was exactly what I needed to make my escape._

The plan was complete. I had everything I needed. I was ready.

**A/N: So sorry this chapter took so long! I've had to focus on my exams for a while, but I've finally finished school so I'll be updating much more regularly (fingers crossed!). I hope you enjoyed this. Review and let me know! xxx**


	4. Chapter Three: Loss

**Chapter Three: Loss.**

"Yet it would be your duty to bear it, if you could not avoid it; it is weak and silly to say you cannot bear what is your fate to bear." – Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre.

**Jacob Black and Pack POV**

Jacob Black lost everything the day he first phased. That's how he saw it at least. His whole future was consumed in the fire that spread through his body, leaving agony and bones broke and reformed and skin stretched unnaturally in ways it wasn't designed to. The confusion led to fear. The fear led to anger. The anger almost led to him taking his own father's head off with his oversized, lethally clawed paw. And that was before he even heard the voices in his head.

The memory never left him, often haunting his thoughts when he was alone. How was it possible to come so close to killing your father, the man who raised you, just because he asked how your almost-date went?

Because of it, he knew from the start that his humanity was lost the moment his wolf first emerged. The fact that he took to it so naturally only confirmed this. He phased faster than any of his brothers. He was the strongest and the fastest. The most lethal out of a group bred to kill. He had strong instincts, his wolf always close to the surface even though he had the best control in the pack. In other words, he perceived he was the least human out of all of them, even the volatile, temperamental Paul. Maybe it was the Alpha blood, or the fact that he'd inherited the gene from both sides of his family. Whatever had caused it, fate had created a monster.

Sam had offered him Alpha on his first phase, but Jacob was so thrown by turning into a giant wolf that the idea of being in charge of a teenage wolf pack was too much for him to bear. He turned it down, despite the outrage of the wolf who told him it was his right, that he was more dominant. Jacob ignored it, the man stronger than the wolf. The constant duel instincts were confusing and disconcerting, and he struggled to control them, even at the beginning.

The first time the man and the wolf ever merged as one was the day he imprinted on Bella Swan. It was all he had hoped and prayed for since he phased, the vehemence of his desire to imprint on her standing out against his bleak moods like a beacon of hope to his pack brothers and sister. He knew they were worried about him, their thoughts often showing a stark contrast between the sunny, good-natured boy he'd been and the angry, volatile man he'd suddenly become.

They'd all rejoiced with him when his eyes first met hers in that meadow. The pack, all in wolf form, felt the ripples of the imprint as it formed through the pack mind. They felt merely an echo of the strength of the bond, like a million steel cables tying Jacob to Bella, their worlds realigning only a fraction compared to the way his tilted on its axis to orbit her. The passion with which they chased down the blood sucker who had threatened Bella doubled; they were now chasing a leech who had tried to harm one of their own. The pack were vicious in their pursuit, but not a vicious as Jacob, who took down the leech with one well aimed swipe of his paw, effortlessly separating its head from its body. He had protected his imprint and always would.

Jacob saw her for the first time as the man the next day. She had turned up to his house, her face set in an angry mask, and determination in the set of her shoulders that told him she was ready for a confrontation. When their eyes met it was like imprinting all over again; the man was capable of feeling the full impact of awe and adoration, whereas the wolf had been unable to. He almost fell to his knees before her, this Goddess among mortals who fate had chosen to be his. Bella was perfectly designed for him to spend his life worshipping her. The imprint broke through the cloud of negativity that surrounded him, shining a seductive sliver of hope into his otherwise dark outlook. If Taha Aki had decided this divine creature was his perfect soul mate, as he was hers, maybe he had a chance at redemption. Maybe his humanity wasn't as lost as he had thought.

The hope was contagious and spread through his psyche like wildfire, infecting everything it touched. The wolf protested, claiming that his unproven faith in Bella would make him weak. Again he ignored its demanding cynicism; Jacob as a boy had always hoped for the best, and he desperately needed back that optimism.

He took her to Sam's house so the Alpha could help him explain what they were. They didn't give a full telling of the legends, but a summarised version; she'd hear the full stories from the elders at a bonfire as was the tradition for new pack members. When Bella accepted the fact that they were werewolves so easily, Jacob thanked Taha Aki, his hope only growing. He knew that he could be what she needed him to be, and in return she would restore his humanity. It was just the way his Bella was. She was the most loving, caring woman he had ever known.

His hope was crushed when he told her about the imprint. Bella was not happy like he had expected her to be, instead through the imprint bond he felt her shock, then her horror which quickly turned to anger. The acceptance that he and his wolf craved so badly was nowhere to be found. Bella told him she needed time. The wolf whispered to Jacob that she was rejecting them, but he refused to believe that. He smothered his hurt and put her needs above his own, letting her walk away from him.

When Bella disappeared for two weeks and refused to even talk to him, something deep within Jacob broke. He knew his wolf had been right, that she was rejecting him. The thought tortured his mind along with the minds of the pack. An imprint had never rejected her wolf before, and fear of what would happen was rife. The pack tried to soothe Jacob, to provide what little comfort they could, but he was inconsolable in his grief. The wolf had him convinced that he had lost his mate before he'd ever had her.

He felt more like a monster than ever in those two weeks, the only wolf in the history of his tribe to have scared away his imprint with his devotion. The hatred and self loathing became more than he could bear. Jacob knew the wolf wouldn't feel his devastation so completely so he let go, allowing the wolf and his instincts to take control and protect his battered heart and soul. He could protect his imprint from everything even if she didn't want him, but his wolf was the only thing protecting Jacob from his imprint.

The pain of her rejection wasn't just emotional, but manifested in a tangible, physical way. There were times Jacob's chest would constrict so tightly he could barely breathe unless he was near to or made contact with her. Day by day it broke his spirit, chipping away at what was left of his fragmented, shattered humanity. By the time Bella eventually agreed to see him, Jacob could hardly tell where his mind ended and the wolf's consciousness began. It was so hard for him to determine which thoughts were his and which were the wolf's that he sometimes didn't try.

All he knew was that when she said she only needed him as a friend that he saw it for what it truly was; a rejection. Sure, she hadn't totally pushed him away, but it was clear that his imprint did not want him. But he still had all the instincts of an imprinted wolf. His life revolved around keeping her safe and protected from anything or anyone that could harm her, even herself if necessary. If he could protect her, even if she wouldn't accept him as her mate, Jacob knew he wouldn't have completely failed her.

But he struggled so hard with the imprint. The jealousy was unlike anything he'd ever felt. Jacob could never tell if it stemmed from the man or the wolf, but either way he could not control it. The idea of his unclaimed, unmarked mate near other males who would consider her fair game was terrifying to him. Whereas his imprinted pack brothers felt more comfortable when their imprints were with the pack, Jacob couldn't stand to see his imprint near his brothers lest one of them should take her from him. The pack saw it as completely irrational, but to Jacob it was justifiable. As he hadn't yet claimed her, anyone else could do so. Even though the imprint was sacred and respected by the pack he couldn't help but be suspicious of them. After all, he lived inside their heads.

It was even worse with other males though. The slimy, lecherous teenage boys who lusted after his mate were as much his enemy as any bloodsucker. His wolf's possessive anger was so strong it was a miracle that he hadn't yet killed someone in the street for merely looking at Bella. He simply needed to protect her, especially from males who only wanted one thing and would use her.

The wolf saw it as a very black and white thing: anything that could harm his mate had to be eliminated to protect her. Even when Jacob could recognise the wolf's overprotective influence, he didn't fight it. He knew the wolf's instincts were purely to protect its mate, and he loved her so much that he wanted no harm to come to her. He cared for her with a passion and diligence unparalleled by the other imprinted wolves, and prided himself on the fact that she was the safest of all the imprints.

The one instinct he knew for sure was coming from the wolf was marking. Jacob had never felt the urge to bite someone before but the wolf demanded it be done. At first Jacob refused to even consider it, fighting the urge every time he felt it, even leaving Bella when it got too strong to fight. Marking Bella would harm her, especially since she hadn't accepted him. But as time went by his will was worn down by both the wolf's anger at him for not following his instincts to protect their mate best, and Bella's anger with him for protecting her. Bella's anger only fed the wolf's, who was infuriated by her refusal to submit to his protection. The wolf had been right about so many things, but was he right about marking? Jacob wasn't sure until the fateful day on the beach. Not only had his mate lied to him, but she was dressed in a bathing suit and allowing that vile Mike Newton to lust after her. Once again the wolf and the man were of one accord. Marking her would protect her from other males, and protect them from his aggressiveness which he knew upset her. They didn't agree however, on when the marking should take place. Jacob wanted to wait, to give her more time to accept the bond, to explain the benefits of marking to her. The wolf was impatient desiring nothing more than to sink his teeth into her neck and brand her as his. But he was so angry with her. They fought. The man was weak, and hesitated only a second which was enough for the wolf to take control. Like an animal, he pushed Bella into the ground, mounted her, and marked her. He felt guilt at the pain and trauma he caused his mate, but the wolf was too strong for him to stop it. The guilt was soothed by the knowledge that she'd be protected by his mark, not only from other males, but from cold ones as well. The fact that his pack brothers tried to interfere was intolerable. It was not acceptable for the pack to interfere with an imprint, and no-one in the history of the tribe had previously dared to out of respect for the sacred bond. But the pack as a whole were so thoroughly disgusted by Jacob's treatment of his imprint that they felt obligated to protect her. She was after all one of their own.

The straw that broke the camel's back was Sam's attempt at ordering Jacob away from his imprint. He claimed that Jacob was out of control and it was for her safety, but Jacob knew he could keep Bella safer than anyone else and that Sam didn't have the authority to make that decision. The wolf screamed at the interference, demanding that Jacob take his place as rightful Alpha. Even had he wanted to, Jacob could not deny the wolf's demand. The man was just as angry at the injustice, and frankly this fight had been a long time coming. Even Sam saw it coming to some degree, only he hadn't predicted it would happen so soon. He knew Jacob's wolf was both dominant and out of control, and that his orders barely bound the young wolf.

A challenge was made, and a fight commenced. Both wolves knew there was only ever going to be one victor. They fought in human bodies, but were vicious as their inner wolves, snarling and biting at one another. As if they could sense the power struggle, the pack amassed on their Alpha's home, watching with solemn faces as the embattled men fought for the title and their lives. Plaster crumbled. Bones snapped. Blood and sweat poured like rain. Neither man walked away from the fight scratchless, but at the end there was only one left standing. Panting with rage and exertion, Jacob pleaded with his wolf for the life of his previous Alpha, a man he had once considered a friend and mentor. He fought the impulse to kill by reminding them both that they needed numbers in the pack to protect their mates. It wasn't an easy fight, but it was the first time the man had reasoned with the wolf and won in a long time.

Jacob's first order as the true Alpha was simple, yet strong enough to bring to bring the witnessing wolves to their knees.

"Males must stay away from my mate. I don't want to see any of you in the same room as her, he growled. He and his wolf now knew they weren't to be trusted around his mate now that they'd interfered once. Leah, the anomaly of generations of all male packs, was no threat to his wolf. She wouldn't try to steal his mate from him, or interfere with an imprint after all she'd been through with Sam and Emily, so he left her out of it. Someone might have to guard Bella anyway, and Jacob needed one wolf who could stay with her. Paul and Embry were punished harshly as a consequence of interfering with his imprint; he had to make an example of them so the rest of the pack would respect him as Alpha as well as his imprint bond. Though Jacob was struggling to gain respect from his own imprint.

Bella still continually refused to submit to his protection, instead provoking him further by fighting his instincts. It was infuriating and terrifying, but not as terrifying as when she began to withdraw from him. Sure, he still saw her everyday but she lived in her mind, barely acknowledging his presence in a disconcerting manner. Through their bond he could feel her deep frustration and desperation and it worried his wolf. But more than that, he couldn't understand why he was clearly failing to make her happy. He was loving her and protecting her as best as he could when she fought against it so hard. She should have been happy, but she just wasn't.

His jealousy began to spiral out control again when Leah and the other imprints started visiting Bella. They managed to make her laugh and smile, something he hadn't managed to get her to do for real in weeks. Sure she would smile for Charlie, but he could feel she didn't really mean it. Jacob tried to get her to let him stay for those girly evening so he could see and feel her happiness for himself, but Leah and the other imprints stood with Bella and refused to let him. There was enough unrest in the pack as it was without the imprints feeling threatened by Jacob, so he backed down. It was no secret that the pack was furious with Jacob for his treatment of Sam and Bella. They were hurt by the loss of one of their pack sisters as Bella no longer attended pack functions. They didn't understand, and Jacob knew they never would fully understand unless they were rejected by their own imprints. He also knew that the pack was divided and weak, but could not comprehend why they didn't follow his leadership. He was the rightful Alpha, yet the pack was unwilling to submit to him. The pack had followed Sam out of respect which he'd rightfully earned in their eyes, but Jacob had to order them if they were to obey him.

The only thing they maintained without coercion was their patrols, most of the time. Despite their anger with their new Alpha, the pack knew they still had to protect human life. It was the very reason that they existed. Jacob ran the most patrols of all, his wolf having the strongest protective instincts and had the most free time on his hands as he'd dropped out of school to run the pack.

So after months of La push being bloodsucker-free, when Jared let out a warning howl, Jacob was the first to join his pack mate. A fresh trail had been found leading from Forks through the forest onto the Rez. Knowing Leah was with Bella and she was safe, Jacob and Jared pressed forward, tracking the scent. It was the sweetest leech trail that either of them had ever encountered, and strangely almost smelt cottony. The whole pack phased in quickly, their efforts disjointed as they all argued over who should take which role. The arguing and the sense of panic that slowly spread throughout the pack confused Jacob and Jared, distracting them from tracking the scent.

"Silence!" Jacob roared in their minds. He was both furious and afraid, knowing that in the disarray the leech could be escaping or could hurt someone. He felt the panic turn to guilt as all the wolves realised their mistake.

"Sam, Jared, and Quil, you're with me chasing the leech. Embry, go back and guard the imprints. Leah, I need you to stay with Bella," he ordered, and the pack obeyed instantly. For the first time since he became Alpha, there were no complaints.

"Bella got in her truck and said something about visiting Emily. She'll be safe there with Embry. I'll come with you," Leah told Jacob, putting her mind under heavy scrutiny from her Alpha. Although Leah's mind was usually fairly closed off to him, Jacob had no problem accessing that particular memory and was easily convinced of its truth. The little she-wolf caught up to the trackers quickly, and overtook them with ease. She had always been the fastest in the pack. Jacob felt Embry phase out of the pack mind, and assumed he's gone to sit with the imprints. He knew his good friend would protect Bella when she arrived, so he focused on the hunt.

The trail led directly to the cliffs and stopped. Obviously the bloodsucker had either jumped off, or doubled back.

"Spread out and retrace the trail. See where it started and if it turns off anywhere. Sam, go and check first beach and make sure it didn't come ashore there," Jacob instructed, frustrated that the enemy had seemingly slipped through his fingers.

His pack quickly got to work. Sam was the first to report back having ascertained that there was no leech stench on the beach. Leah traced the trail all the way back to the main road between Forks and La Push. It went no further, so the bloodsucker must have gotten out of a car. Jacob thought it was strange, but thought no more of it. He was no expert on how leeches chose to travel. Frustration saturated the pack mind; everyone could have used a good fight.

"Leah and Quil, you're patrolling," Jacob told them. He personally was planning on collecting Bella and taking her home. The moment Bella crossed his mind he became aware of a tightening sensation in his chest, much like the stretching of an elastic band. He'd felt a slight tightening as they followed the trail, but had decided it was worry for his imprint and pushed it aside to focus on the hunt. But now it was so much stronger. Jacob had never felt it before, but much to his horror, realised that he recognised it from Sam's mind. Bella was moving away from him. She'd lied to Leah and was headed away from La Push.

With a savage growl that scared the birds out of the surrounding trees, Jacob turned and ran in the direction the imprint pulled him. He grew frantic as his wolf began to panic. They couldn't protect their mate if she was so far away. Before long he found himself on the outskirts of Port Angeles, not far from the airport. His heart lurched all of a sudden at the thought of the airport. Was she running? Was she abandoning him?

When he got too close to civilisation, he phased back to human, throwing on his battered cut offs. Jacob ran the rest of the distance at a barely passably human pace, grateful for the empty roads. He froze at the entrance of the car park. The rust-red monstrosity of a truck stood out like a sore thumb, and he felt his chest constrict further.

It was empty.

She was gone.

Jacob phased before he could make it to the woods.

**A/N: So hopefully this has explained a little more about what's going on with Jacob, because I know some people were a little uncomfortable with this version of him. Let me know what you think!**


	5. Chapter Four: Exposure

**Chapter Four: Exposure.**

"All families have their secrets, most people would never know them, but they know there are spaces, gaps where the answers should be, where someone should have sat, where someone used to be. A name that is never uttered, or uttered just once and never again. We all have our secrets." – Cecilia Ahern, The Book of Tomorrow.

**Leah POV**

The imprints and I stood huddled in the kitchen under the guise of preparing dinner, an activity Embry would have no interest in. I peeled and chopped potatoes at an inhumanly fast speed, whilst Emily and Kim teamed up to prepare enough meatloaf to feed an army. Our voices were disguised by the sounds of food preparation and the loud wrestling match Embry was watching, leaving us free to talk.

"So it all went to plan?" Emily asked. I nodded.

"The pack believed the trail was real, and Bella was long gone before it was discovered," I confirmed, watching as the two women visibly relaxed.

"So she should make it safe?" Kim enquired, nibbling at her bottom lip.

"In theory, yes. Although Jacob figured out she was gone faster than I had expected and bolted," I told them, a shudder running down my spine as I remembered the desperation and pure rage that had tugged as my soul through the pack bonds as Jacob realised Bella was gone. The Alpha was not happy, and the whole pack could feel it.

"He's gone after her?" Emily squeaked as she and Kim turned to face me, the worry returning in a flash.

"Yes. The pack stayed to watch him through the mind link. Don't worry Em," I tried to soothe her, "by my calculations Bella should have been in Port Angeles by the time Jacob worked out she was missing. She'll be fine." This seemed to reassure them, as they both turned back to their work.

"Good," Kim sighed, "I think they need this separation. Both of them have so many issues to work out, and they just can't seem to do it together. They enable each other." Emily hummed in agreement. In all honestly, I knew Kim was completely right. Jacob's problems were much more obvious, the anger and lack of control dangerous in a young shifter. Bella's however were all hidden under the surface, unnoticeable until you got close to her such as the overwhelming insecurity that caused her to push Jacob away. Both of them had been hurt by the other, only some scars were more concealed than others. As much as I felt sorry for her, I couldn't deny that Bella had walked straight into this mess. The way Jacob had treated her was wrong, but it was not like she had made it any better by fighting and arguing with him.

All three of us jumped when the front door was slammed open, the wolf pack pouring into the small house agitatedly behind a stressed looking Sam.

"Bella's gone. Jacob just found her truck abandoned at the airport," he announced sombrely. Kim, Emily and I all tried to appear surprised by the news with varying degrees of success. The pack seemed to believe it, all except Sam whose eyes narrowed as he looked between the tree of us before settling his heavy gaze upon me. I met his eye, raising an eyebrow in challenge, just daring him to call me out on my deception. In a silent communication that went unnoticed by the pack, Sam jerked his chin towards the door, telling me to meet him out back. As the pack made themselves at home, and the imprints went back to cooking, I made my excuses and slipped out the back door into the tree line.

"What do you know?" Sam demanded as soon as I came into his line of sight.

"I know a lot of things. You're going to have to be a little more specific than that," I told him coyly. After all, there was a reason contrary was my middle name.

"What do you know about Bella leaving?" he specified between gritted teeth.

"I know it's for the best," I shrugged, "I also know that certain people won't like to see what I have to say about it." Sam's eyes flashed with understanding.

"You know you can trust me, right Lee? You know I'd never show anyone what you say," he pleaded, his casual use of his old nickname for me tugging at my heartstrings. He was trying to look after me, just like he always had. I sighed. As much as a part of me wanted to give in and let him take care of it, I couldn't go down the path of seeing him as my protector again.

"Look Sam, what I do or do not know is my burden to carry. I'm protecting more than just myself here," I informed him gently.

"Not Emily. Please tell me you didn't get Emily involved?" He asked me, his expression somewhere between shock and disbelief, although he must have had suspicions. Emily hated what was going on between Jacob and Bella the most out of everyone. I remained silent, refusing to answer and allowing him to come to his own conclusion.

"Damn it Leah!" he yelled, his fist connecting with the tree next to me hard enough to make it shudder and groan, "How could you do this to me?"

"This is not about you Samuel Uley!" I shouted back, my own temper flaring, "It's about that poor girl who Jacob was smothering. If all you're going to do is sit here and bitch about yourself then you're not half the man I thought you were!" I turned on my heel, walking away.

I made it three steps before a hand grabbed my wrist spinning me back to face the man I'd once loved.

"I'm not only thinking of myself. What about the pack? Did you think about the effect this could have on them? What about the imprints if your plotting was discovered?" he hissed accusingly at me.

"How would it have affected the pack if Bella was killed?" I snapped, watching with satisfaction as Sam dropped my hand and staggered back, he face showing his evident denial.

"He couldn't...the imprint wouldn't have let him," Sam stammered, but whether he was trying to persuade himself or me it was hard to tell.

"We all know it was getting worse. I think even Jacob knew that to some degree," I shook my head, "If they kept arguing like that, they were only a fight away from one of them doing something they'd regret for the rest of their lives – and we both know who was the most vulnerable. If Bella lashed out at Jacob he'd heal almost instantly. If Jacob lost control and lashed out at Bella..." The mental images that filled my head were distressing, even to me.

"You're right. She needed to go," Sam agreed, running a hand over his face in a tiered motion, "I'm sorry. I overreacted. It's just..." he paused, taking a deep breath before looking me in the eye, "You do know it would kill me if anything happened to Emily, or to you?" My chest constricted as what he hadn't said registered. He still loved me, but Emily would always come first. Even a few weeks ago I wouldn't have been able to deal with this revelation, but now I understood. This was what was best for both of us, even if it hurt.

"I know," I reassured him, instinctively knowing that my acceptance would help him heal. He smiled my smile, not the devoted gormless imprint smile that both he and Jared often wore, but my smile. It was the same tender expression he had worn countless times during our time together, but this was the first time I had seen it since the imprint. Somehow it didn't hurt as bad as I thought it would, the memories actually welcome and comforting.

"Nothing will happen to me or Emily as long as no-one asks any questions," I explained, knowing that if only I knew the answers we were unlikely to be found out. He nodded, instantly understanding. I walked back to the house leaving him to his thoughts, and knowing I had an ally in keeping the pack silent.

Almost as soon as I walked through the door at Emily's, the phone rang. I rolled my eyes at the timing, wondering what was happening now. This day had been anything but uneventful.

"Uley residence," I answered.

"Leah? Thank God! It's Billy. I'm at Charlie's with your Dad. Jacob's just turned up and he's losing it. Apparently Bella's gone-" I heard Jacob growl, followed by the hollow bang of furniture falling, "You and the boys need to get over here at once," he explained in a rush. Crap! Why had no-one thought to check on Charlie?

"On our way, just try and keep him calm," I instructed, hanging up the phone.

"Guys, we've got to head up to the Swan house. Jacob's going to tear someone's head off," I shouted, running out the door and phasing. Near frantic, I ran like my life depended on it because the lives of three good men were at stake.

Thanking the Gods for my speed, I phased back having made the journey in just under four minutes. As I pulled on my ratty sundress I heard shouting from indoors which had me running.

"Where is she Charlie?" Jacob demanded, his form blending around the edges.

"I told you I don't know. She didn't tell me," Charlie responded calmly, yet assertively, his years of experience as Chief of Police shining thorough any distress he felt. It might have worked if the scent of his lie didn't hang thick in the air.

"Don't lie to me!" Jacob roared, lunging forward. I was between them in a flash, shoving my Alpha backwards away from the vulnerable humans.

"Jacob, calm down!" I hissed at him, "You're going to phase in front of Charlie."

"I can't calm down! She's gone and he won't tell me where she went," he growled at me.

"You're scaring him," I warned, rubbing my hand up his arm in what was meant to be a soothing gesture which backfired spectacularly.

"Get your hands off me," he commanded, "Bella is the only woman who gets to touch me like that!" Under the weight of the Alpha order, I fell heavily to my knees, head bowed in submission to appease his wolf.

"What have you done to her?" Charlie demanded, angry at what he perceived as mistreatment of one of his best friend's daughters.

"Stay behind me Charlie," I instructed as Sam and Quil burst through the door. I heard Billy trying to reason with his good friend, trying to persuade him not to shoot Jacob despite how threatening he looked.

"Get Jacob out of here!" I spat at my pack brothers, forcing myself upright though my legs wobbled. Sam and Quil grabbed an arm each and forcibly dragged Jacob through the kitchen and out of the back door. It took all of their strength as he fought and thrashed in their hold, but they managed to push him out into the back yard where the rest of the pack were waiting.

"Charlie, don't!" I heard my father call, and the next thing I knew Charlie Swan had pushed past me into the yard, and was approaching a heavily trembling Jacob.

"I don't know what's going on with you Jacob Black, but you never used to have a temper like this on you. If I found out my daughter left because you hurt her I'll-" Charlie's threat was cut off by an inhuman growl.

"I would never hurt her!" Jacob roared before exploding into the wolf in a blink of an eye. Thankfully, Embry managed to pull a stunned Charlie behind him before Jacob lunged, leaving deep gouges down Embry's chest that could have killed Bella's father. The russet wolf then turned tail and ran, Sam and Paul quickly phasing to follow him to protect anyone else he came across from his rage.

"Quil, take Embry to my Mum and have her check him over. Jared, you're with me looking after Charlie," I ordered them without thinking. Thankfully, they obeyed without question. I turned to face the man stood beside us in shock Charlie Swan, who was white as a sheet, stumbled away from me in fear as I slowly approached him.

"Wolf!" he cried, his eyes flitting from me, to Jared, to the woods where the others had disappeared.

"At least he didn't faint," Jared whispered, causing me to grin. Both Emily and Kim had fainted the first time they'd seen the wolves and they were imprints. Apparently the Swans were made of sterner stuff.

"Charlie, it's still me. I'm still Leah, Harry's baby girl," I soothed him, "Come with me inside to my Dad and Billy and we'll explain this all to you."

Charlie surprised me by taking a big breath inwards to regain his composure, then stormed into his house like a man on a mission. If I hadn't been watching him closely, I wouldn't have seen the way he positioned himself so that I was between him and Jared at all times. I guess a 6'2" female shifter was less intimidating than a 6'6", built, male shifter. The fact that he's known me since before I was born probably helped him to trust me too. Jared and I followed at a comfortable distance so as not to spook him as he stormed up to his two best friends, both Tribal Elders and had deceived him. This was not going to be pretty.

"Black, you'd better explain to me what the hell you and your son have dragged my daughter into right this second, and make it good," he told Billy, his voice only just this side of shouting.

"What you have seen today and what I'm about to tell you must go with you to your grave," Billy started.

"Don't insult me Billy," Charlie snapped, "I keep more secrets than you can know." Billy looked ashamed, and I wondered how many of his secrets Charlie knew.

As Billy and my father told the legends to their angry, confused best friend, Jared and I went around the swan house trying to correct the chaos Jacob had created. We thought the living room had been bad with a turned over sofa, and all the books obviously thrown from the shelf, but it was nothing compared to Bella's room. The small, usually almost obsessively clean, bedroom was unrecognisable. The bed was on it's side, bedding strewn across the room. Desk drawers had been haphazardly emptied, the contents on display for the world to see. The surface of the desk was covered by the torn off door of the built in wardrobe. It didn't take a genius to tell it had been torn from its hinges in a fit of rage. I paused in the doorway, taking it all in. Jared peeked over my shoulder, letting loose a low whistle.

"It's a good thing we got here quickly, or we would be cleaning up pieces of Charlie too," He told me seriously. I knew he was right; if Jacob had had such little control in human form, he would have been vicious and incontrollable as the wolf. The cleanup operation was conducted in silence from then on, the house almost back to its usual state by the time they were done. By then Billy had finished the legends and a pregnant silence spread across the whole house. I walked into the living room in time to see Charlie's face turn from red to purple. Jared caught my eye and raised both eyebrows in expectation; both Bella and Charlie once pushed to far had explosive tempers.

"Looks like we're in for a show," Jared told me excitedly, so quietly that only I could hear it.

"This isn't funny!" I hissed, elbowing him sharply in the ribs just as Charlie jumped to his feet.

"So you're telling me you both knew my baby girl was dating a vampire, a blood-sucking parasite that could have killed her with no remorse and you never saw fit to tell me?" He demanded, his voice quiet and deadly.

"Charlie, you know we would have told you if we could have," My father tried to appease him.

"Don't give me that crap!" Charlie yelled, fists clenching in fury, "You could have told me any time you liked, but you chose to keep it from me."

"Charlie..." Billy started, only to be cut off.

"Don't you even try to tell me you couldn't have Billy. You are the Chief of the goddamn tribe. We both know it was within your power," Charlie fumed, "Because of your silence I wasn't able to protect my daughter. After that...creature abandoned her in the woods I thought I was going to lose her. I sat up all night for weeks, watching her breathe, praying that she wouldn't do something stupid, or worse, slowly waste away before my eyes. You let that happen to her!"

"And we regret that. The whole counsel regrets the decision we made. The pack should have protected her Charlie. She's practically family," Harry told him sincerely, the pain and regret evident in his face. Everyone remembered Bella's 'Zombie Days', but I never realised how responsible the pack had been for them. Back then she was just a stupid girl who was in love with the enemy and I'd hated her for it. Now I could see that she was just a girl who had been taken in by lies and secrets that she should have been protected from. We should have protected her.

"So why didn't you protect her from Jacob?" Charlie asked bluntly.

"She doesn't need protecting from my son Charlie. The imprint..." Billy paused when he saw the expression of pure rage cross his best friend's face.

"I don't care about that imprinting 'magical soul-mate' connection," Charlie seethed mockingly, "I'm talking about a young man who cannot control himself."

"Jacob's having a hard time...adjusting right now," Billy defended his son, as honestly as he could without making him look guilty. Charlie started to pace frustratedly up and down his sitting room.

"I knew there was something wrong with them. Jacob was just so different. He made her feel uncomfortable. I should have known something was wrong. They kept arguing, fighting like cats and dogs over stupid little things. But she insisted that he was there because he was her friend, and some rubbish about tutoring. I should have known she was lying," Charlie ranted, almost to himself before stopping dead and looking Billy in the eye.

"Did he hurt her?"

Billy's eyes went wide as he tried to find an answer that would protect his son and appease Charlie.

"Charlie, you know Jacob would never do anything to hurt Bella," Billy implored. Charlie chuckled, a dry, humourless sound.

"Well here's the thing: I don't know Jacob anymore. The old Jake would never have hurt her, but this one..." Charlie shrugged, "Now answer the question."

My dad and Billy were both suddenly very interested in their laps. Their reluctance to tell Bella's worried father the truth sickened me. He had the right to know what was going on between Jacob and his daughter. So when his eyes met mine I didn't look away, I held his gaze and spoke up.

"Yes Charlie. He did hurt her in many ways. But you need to know that it was never intentional, and that she hurt him very badly. They hurt each other. What was going on between them was not healthy, and if you ask any of the pack they'll tell you that much," I took a deep breath, drawing courage before continuing, "You have to know that we love Bella very much, and the moment we realised something was wrong we tried to help her. I'm not going t lie to you. Bella left today because of Jacob. And I helped her every step along the way."

Charlie, apparently stunned by my honesty, slumped back into his worn arm chair as the other three men stared gormlessly at me.

"You knew about it?" Jared asked, completely stunned at the fact that he'd been in my head and had no idea.

"I planned the whole thing. And none of you are going to breathe a word of it," I told them firmly. Billy cursed.

"What have you done? How could you not think of the good of the pack or the tribe? How will it affect them if Jacob is grief stricken from the loss of his imprint?" he demanded, his previous sombre mood evaporated into agitation, if not anger.

"What about my daughter Billy? Do her needs or wants no longer matter?" Charlie challenged, glaring sternly at his old friend. Billy had the decency to look ashamed at least.

"Don't take this out on Leah, Billy. We both knew something was wrong with the imprint and did nothing about it to protect Bella, who is like family to us," My father warned, before turning to me, pride lighting up his face, "You did good sweetheart." I smiled back at him, glad that he had my back.

"Thanks Dad," I turned my attention back to the other men, "If you care about Bella's safety, or even my own safety you'll keep this to yourselves. We all know this is for the best right now. Until Jacob sorts himself out, this will never be a safe place for her," I informed them.

"Word of this will not leave this room," Billy promised with a sigh. I turned to Jared, who was fidgeting uncomfortably behind me.

"I don't know if I can keep this hidden for long Leah. My control is not as good as yours," he murmured, looking divided.

"Just make sure you don't patrol with Jacob," I told him, "And you can use a memory or a song to hide your deeper thoughts in the pack mind."

"Does that really work?" Jared asked, stunned.

"Yup. It's simple, but effective," I assured him.

"You all better keep this secret, or I'll shoot you myself. Saves Jacob having to kill anyone," Charlie stated, dead serious, "Now this has been informative, but I want all of you to get the hell out of my house."

"Charlie?" My dad asked, sounding sad yet resigned.

"I've just seen kids explode into giant wolves and found out my best friends have lied to me for years. I need time to think this all through," he grunted. My dad nodded and wordlessly stood to push Billy's chair.

"See you later old timer," Billy joked, a wasted attempt at lightening the mood.

"Good bye, Billy, Harry," Charlie said, not even looking at them, "I'll call you. Don't bother dropping by until I do."

Jared and I turned to follow the two long-faced men, who quickly made their way out of the house.

"Leah?" Charlie called just before I stepped out the door. I turned to face him, the heartbreak and sincerity written on his face were staggering.

"Thank you for looking out for my baby girl," he choked out.

"You're welcome," I answered before walking out and closing the door behind me.

By the time I got home I was exhausted but too wired to sleep. I got myself a bowl of cereal and settled in on the couch to watch some crappy late night television. I was flicking through the channels when a picture on a news report caught my eye.

"_CCTV footage from an airport just outside of Port Angeles today showed a large brown animal running in a northward direction. So far police and animal control have been unable to identify the species or where it came from, however due to its large size it is believed to be a threat. If you saw this animal today, or if you see it near you, please call your local police department."_

The shit was about to hit the fan.

**A/N: So what did you think? Love it? Hate it? Let me know! **


End file.
